San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-12-19
THE SURPLUS ALARMS.

The reports Of the cabinet secretaries
have done much to allay the alarm
caused by the presidential message,
which Is coming more and more to be
accepted as a mere electioneering docu-
ment, the design Of which was to show
that the revenue measures Of the repub-
llcan party were ruinously heavy. The
house committee on appropriations
have now issued their estimates OF
revenues and expenditures for the year
ending June 80, 1889. as compared with
those of the year ending June 80,
1888. 1t will be seen from the
figures that there Is no
immediate danger of any panic outside
OF the presidential mind, and so much
OF the democratic brain as revolves
around him its common center. The sp-
preparations committee show an In
crease Of estimated revenue for current
year Of $50, 4G9, 2O6; estimate increase Of
expenditures S23. 737, 002, leaving net in
crease of revenue OF $32, 49,, 2O4. This
estimate does not include the Sl2, 2l3, 40
appropriated by congress for river and
harbor and which the president vetoed.
Deducting this as legitimate ex-
penditure the surplus would have
been reduced to S2l ,5lS,734. And this
veto was put upon this needed sppro-
priation simply because the president
did not approve OF the $50, 900 for the
Hennepin canal survey, one OF the most
important interstate waterway COM
munications that could be opened to
this country. Concerning this attempt
of the president to alarm the country
upon false revenue Issue, the st. Louis
GlObe-Democrat says:
There has been persistent effort on the
part of the president and his friends in and
out of congress to increase the surplus by
Withholding appropriations for needful ex-
penditures. Thus the appropriations for the
navy, which. above all things, needed
strengthening, were reduced by $2,l65 O9s,
those for the army by sI6O,253, those for the
military academy by 81, 597. In fact, the means
of National defense we're Systematically weak.
ened in order to present such an apparent in-
crease of revenue and surplus as might give
preteXt for urging a return to that system of
low tariff duties which Calhoun favored in his
day, and which his disciples now favor. And it
is worthy of note that the pension .appropria.
tions, over the "exuavagant increase" of
which so many hypocritical tears have been
shed by straight democrats and the Golden
Club contingents of democracy, are only lar
ger than those of preceding years by the in
significant sum of $4,000.
The presidents alarmist theories are under
going combination from his own secretaries
and appOintees. First comes his secretary of
the treasury and reduces his estimate of in
crease of revenue for next year by S27. 5000
and his estimated surplus of Sl4O,OOO,OOO to
S60,000,000, and now comes his chief of engin-
GERS and fixes S4O,OOO,OOO as 1.-The amount that
can be probably expended on rivers and har-
bors." The hard common sense of the people
is discerning that the free trade policy
of the president and his friends
and organs is matter of politica
heredity, and Unborn dread of National in.
dustrial development, outside of such indus
try as is agricultural. 1t is becoming very
plain that a moderate reduction of internal
revenue taxes and moderate increase of APP
preparations for abrolutely necessary i'm
provements in naval and coast defenses will
reduce the surplus to reasonable dimensions,
and, perhaps, utterly do away with it,
These words will do we'll to remember
when Grover comes before the people
next November for reimbursement as
president Of this republic.